Engine



Feb. 28, 1933. M, QWERLE f 1,899,374r

ENGINE Filed Jan. 2, 1932 e sheets-sheet 5 Feb. 28, 1933. M. ;y WERLE 1,8995374? v ENGINE Filed Jan. 2, 1952 e sheets-sheet 4 Feb. 23,1933..l

M. c. WRLE Y 1,899,374

ENGINE l vFiled Jan. 2, 1932 e sheetssheet 5L JJ 4f 44 *Alfa gmc/Mofa Wenze- @Hof/15u59.

Patented' Feb. 2s, 193.3544 y f l Y.

f 'i Uai narnia# opwnnnnor Bum/Nes, MoNrANA l Aman-ipa. 'fuetiianuary f2, .1932.; seal' No. 584,489.

" This invention :aims to provide a rotaryengine of simplek constructiom'i embodying ape proXim'ately sphericalVr` membersf contained 1 onegvs'iithin'the other, and so arrangedfthat a The` outer member lf'jof" the stator suini- ,pIieLJyvith an outwardly extended tubular `projection 4, shown in'Fig. 2, and in this-pro? Je'ction', a. bearing 5 is secured, the projection 4chargefvvillbeA drawn in, compressed, and and the lbearinghaving an oil hole 6, it being y 55 l' conductjerdp-fto the eXplosion"chamber.'V Alg understoodthat'th'e,aforesaid oilflhole, land@ fthouglrfthe device has":beenShOWnjirf'ethek anyother oilfholeshereinafter mentioned, f.

" form of an interi'ialcornb'ustion engine', "it may betaken to representanysuitable'means will be understood, ,Without eXtensive/illus-K'- fr 4lubricating[theV shaft 26, hereinafterfall 25' scope of Whatis claimed, Without departi 1" the Vengine k'maybe providedlf f ,l

l toiiniprove generally andto enhance theutil`` l5 ity "of .devices of that type ftoi 4fvvhich the finventio'n'alopertains.',jy 'n l y .Y 1.

With the Vabove andfother' objectsln view, which will appearl asth'e. descriptionjproceeds, the invention resides in thefcombi'nal 0 tion and arrangementof parts' u`1cl`-inftheffcletails kof construction hereinafter .described y and claimed, it'be'in'g understoodthatchanges 1 in the preciseembodiment'of .the invention# .v hereinifdisclosed,.may jbem'adef-Within fthe from the kspirit of the invention." In the accompanying drawings?- Fig. 1 s hoWs, vertical. section,fa device' constructed in accordance'with theinvention;

Fig. 2 is la section at'right angles to Fig.' 1 ,f

Y Fig. Sis a section onthe line 3-#3 OFi'gg2g` Fig. 4 is a sectionon1 the line4-4` ofFig. 2; Fig. 5 isa section on the line V5443.015-`F1g. 2';

ication. y p

vform ora sphere,the `outer-member i1 'of the stator being supported in anyj suitable Way, preferably by outstanding flanges 2,"con'taining the securing elements 100" that `hold the lconstituent' parts lofthe outerfmember 1 of` the stator together. kThe iouter member :1 kkof the stator :may be .-wva'ter-jacket'ed, as shown at 8, althouglrany other means foric'ooling f 1 Fig. 6 is asection on the line 6+6of Fgig.2;

Fig. 7 ,is asectional viewl'shovving lubrication. Y Fig. 2 of thevdravvingsshows that the outer memberl of the stator is providedvvith an l,tration or explanation, that the principle'sinludedto as lWell'as all other partssthatV need 60 'i volve'd may be embodiedui'nvmany otherstruc-fl l f turesbesidean internalcombustion engine. j It gis'jwitliin the province ofthe disclosure outwardly extended'projection 7,"dis'posed diarkn'etricallyl opposite` tothe 4projection.4. Y rIfhek lower part'fof the cavity of the "outer member 1 of the stator isdesignated 'bythe' numeralS, andis spherieaLthe center of this.,

sphericalfsurface beinga `point 9 in the axis' ofrotationl'of;theshaft 26. The upper part kof Ythefcavityl of the outer member 1 ofthe'` stator-is'enlarged andcurved, to form anfexfv n yplos'ion'chamber A10.?y The surface'of theexf plosion 'chamber '-10 merges into the surface Ef the 'part- 8 of vtheca'vity in theouter'm'em` 7541 er1.,v

ed Withinl the outermember lof the '.-Dispos y stator S is the inner memberll lofthe stator, andv asv to outer surface, the inner member "11i, is spherical." The inner member l1 of the stator has 'f a tubular extension 12, to be seen into'a ring 14l having a reduced Vtubular neck 15,-'onV the outer end of which a cap-16-is` se-; cured at 17. N ear'to its outer end,the neck jin Fig. 32', the tubular. extension 12 projecting n A i 85 15 has'an'finlet port 18 in-its upper side,fthe. n

said yinletY porty communicating ,Witha fuel in,`

let'19; which 'is secured to the neck 15:3 S-

curing "elements y20. connect lthe. ring`14 .With

theprojection 7 of the Vouter.member 1 of the stator,l and securing elements` 21j connect the` 12'of'the inner member 11, the inner member 11 and the outer member 1y thusbeingrjoined i n iXe'dly together. 'A bearingKA 2,2 is mounted L95. in'jthe extension 120i?l the inner member 110155v the stator, and projects into ,the ring 14,'as

`ring 14 With the end of the tubular extension Fig. 2 'Willshovm 1- Thejneck 15 carries fan oili lhole 23,"locatedoutwardly ofy the bearingf22..

" The upperpart 24 ofthe interior of the in-r .1 00

end of the bore 27, the shaft 26 is providedk with oppositely disposed outlet ports` 28. At

ner member 11 of the stator is spherical, but the lower part of the interior of the member 11 is enlarged and curved, as shown atr25 to forma compression chamber.`

A shaft 26, hereinbefore alluded to incidentally, is journaled for rotationk 'in Ythe bearing 5, in the bearing 22, and in the neck 15 of the ring 14, the shaft 26 and otherparts of the engine being capable of being lubricated through the oil holes 6 and 23, or inl any other suitable manner. The shaft 26 has a longitudinal bore 27 and near to the innerv the outer end of the shaft 26 there are cir,- cumferentially arranged inlet ports 29, which, as shown in Fig. 2, 'communicate with the Yfuel inlet port 18 of the neck 15 and with the, fuel inlet member 19. The shaft 26 vhas a re-l duced end 30, projecting outwardly through the cap 16, and adapted to operatethe.timerv (not shown), orfor any other purpose. A spherical compressor 31 is mounted on the shaft 26, and has oppositely disposed pas-1 :sages 32, communicating with the ports 28 of the shaft, the compressor being secured to the shaft.

rlhe spherical com ressor 31 is rovidedV l with an external circumferential groove33,

in which lies the parts 34 of a resilient compression ring. The compression ring 34has sliding Vmovement in the groove 33 of the compressor 31, and is adapted to followrthe lcurved walls 24 and 25 of the inner member.` Betweenthe ends of the` parts 340i the, compression ring is located-y 'a vspring expansion ring 35, which lcan `be 11 of the stator.

seen in Fiom 2. The ring'35, and the adjacent ends of the parts 34 of thecompression .i1-ing canV slide in a transverse opening 36 which 1s formed in the shaft 26.V A spring ring3? surrounds the shaft 26 andY is V,interposed between those ends of the parts 34,0f the compressionringl which are opposite to the ends engaged bythe ring 35, and theri'ng 37V is large enough so that it can movetransversely `of the shaft 26, aslthe ring parts 34 slide up and down, in Fig. 2, to cooperate' with the inner surfaces 24 and 25 of the member 11 of the stator.

The. outer surface of the ,compressor31 i is spherical, and the compressor is enclosed within a rotor 38,. whichjhas external oil' grooves 101. One side of the rotor 38 issecured at 39 in Fig. 21tov the shaft 26. Into the opposite portion ofthe rot-or 38 is threaded or secured otherwise, afshort tubular shaft 40, surrounding and spaced from the extension 12 of the inner member 11 -of the stator,

the shaft 40 being mounted to turn in a bearing 41 carried by the outer member of the stator, oil 'being supplied to the shaft 4() and other parts of the engine through an'oil hole 42in the projection Iiof the outer memberl of the stator. y

` s. On'its outer surface, the rotor 38 has a circumferential groove 43, in which are slidably mounted the parts 44 of a resilient abutment ring, which receives the force of the exploding charge, as will be explained hereinafter. Both the parts 44 of the abutment ring, and the parts34 of the compression ring, may be supplied withthe usual pacliings 45. The short tubular shaft 40 ofthe rotor 38 has openings 46, receiving the ends 0f ythe parts 44 ofthe abutment ring, and within the shaft V4(7), abouttheytubular extension 12 of the inner member 11 of the stator is ydisposed a spring ring. 49, interposed between the parts 44 of the abutment `rin g. The ring 49 is con sidera-bl-y larger thanthepart 12. Between the opposite ends of the' parts 44 'of the abut ment ring is placed a ring47, likethe ring 35, and movable in an opening 48 in the shaft 26. The general construction is such that the abutment ring parts 44 can slide, as one piece,.in groove 43 ofthe rotor 38,'so`as to and :conform tothe innersurfaces 8 and 10V of the .outer member 1 of the stator. vIn the ,stator .11 there is a port 50, having a circumferentialextension 51 (F ig. A1) locatedfonl the;outer.. surface of the stator 11, andthis extended partl 51 of the port 59 adapted .to cooperate with transverse'pessages 52y in the rotor 38, thepassages 52. com municat'ing with transverse conduits 53 in theparts 44 of the .abutment ring, and the `conduits 53 Vcommunicating at their` outer ends, with the space,V between the rotor 38 andA thelinner surface .of the member 1 of the stator. The charge may be fired by any suitable means,for instance a spark plug 54, carried bythe outer member 1 of the stator, and disposed of in the position shown in Fig. 2, near the lower edge 0f the. explosion chamber 10. At apoint approximately opposite to the sparkv plug 54, the outer member 1 of the stator has an exhaust that communicates with the explosion chamber 10. At the extremelowerpart of the explosion chamber 10;(Fig-1) and below the exhaust 55, the outermember 1 ofthe stator is supplied with `avent56.-;.. ,l :In practical operation, suppose that the shaft 26, the compressor 31, and the rotor 3.8,jare turning in the direction of the arrow A in Fig. 1. 4'lhecompression ring 34, sliding to the right-in Fig. 1, in the groove 33 of thecompressor 31, follows at the outer wall `of. the compressionchamber 25 in the stator 11and a charge is suckedrinto the compres-` sion chamber25 ofthe inner member 11 of the stator,"throughlthe passage 32 of the compressor 31, the 'port 28 of the'shaft 26, the longitudinalbore 27 of the .said shaft, the let ports-29, the'port 18, and the fuel inlet 19, Vhen the part of thecompression ring i 34 which is at the left hand side of the compressor 31 in Fig. 1 gets toa position spaced a littleabove thefposition ,occupied.y bythe rightl hand part oftheringin Figi, the compression of the hargefbegins,andiis continued as the ring moves -towardthe position shownat the rleft hand side ofv Fig. 1*. fiTherotor 38 turns with Vthev vcompressor. .31V and v the shaft 26., and a time arrives when-there is established azfloW--linetfor thecompressed fuel, from. the compression chamber of the inner member-11 of the stator, to. the explo., sion chamber 10 of thek outer member ofthe stator.l This time is whenthe inner end .ofiy the passage 52 in the'rotor38e is atfthelower f end of the circumferential .extension .51; of the port in the innermember 11 ofthe stator, and the said` floweline comprises the Vport 50 in the inner member 11 of the' stator and the conduit 53'1in I.the leftl hand partyofthe rin-g A44-in Fig. 1,'.thefcircumferentially elongated extension 51 of the port 50 giving thelcompressed *fuelf time toy enter the explosionchamber 10j'in the outer member l of the.

i stator, bel-ow the vleft hand partof the, ring 44, which, it is to be recalled,is moving in f the directionof thearrow Alf When the pas# sage 521in the rotor` 38 is lclear of the port 50,the charge is trapped kin the compression chamber 10,' behindv the ring44'.y f When the o chargeis fired by the spark plug A54 or yits equivalent', rota-tion isimpartedto the rotor 38 and the shaft 26,.thering.44 beingcarried outwardly, by engagement withthe curved surface shown at 8, tofollow the outerwall f. of the explosion chamber r10.

As the left hand side of the ring 44, in 1,- moves in the directioniof the arrow A, it

soeurs out, throughthe exhaust 55, any 'increv` ment of the previously exploded chargewhichl may be in the explosion chamber 10, ahead of thek ring 44. The vent 5,6rlets out thefsmalll part of the charge which otherwise would be trapped inthe lower right hand part ofthe chamber 10, below the right hand` part of the .rinof 44, in Fig. 1. j Y

.(enerally stated, the compressorrl come f presses the chargein the compressionchamber 25 ofthe inner member L 11 ofthe stator, l and the compressed-chargeflo'ws through-the ports 50 and 52 into ytheiexplosion chamber 10 of the outermemberof'thestator, the charge being there exploded, behind the left hand part of the ring44 in 1, the rotor being turned, rotation ^being imparte'dto the shaft 26, and the charge, kafter explosion,

- finding an. exit mainly through kthefexhaust small extent through ythevent 56 v 55,'but to a also.

of `being employed Y iny pumps, steam engines,

The general principle linvolvedfinlthe' i@ structure hereinbefore described isscapable compressedfair, or' anyother suitable fluidi" Thelstatorais designated by thenumeral 102'- and has intermediate supporting flangesl 103 'Connectedby securingelements.104.` lIn i -thestato1'102,a shaft 105' is journaled. The shaftj `105. isL hollow'and has a longitudinal partition 106, defining f5 longitudinal inlets; 107 `the shaft, the steam,'eompressedair,`

or other fluids being admitted into .the inlets l 107,:alternately, by; any suitable mechanism forming no part* -of kthe present invention.

Thehollow shaft" has oppositely disposedf :rdiff ports l108 communicating with the inlets 107.y

The shaft 105is securedwith-in the hub 1090i a-rotor 110 located withinfthe stator 102;V

The 1 rotor 110 has -dianietrically(opposite.y

passages 1.11,communicating atV their inner f ends :with the ports` .108"o'n theV shaft' 105,31

and-,communicating at their outer ends. with,` ay p circumferential groove 114 in the rotorI 110,

the groove 114 having -o'set outlet pOrtSf115,"V

which.communicatewith the space between thestatorf102" and-the rotor l110'. A1"ing116` iss slidable in theV groove 114, and isv resilient and expansibleyfthe ring *beingy expanded by 4 anyl t suitable means, 'suchf` as that. shown at 35: y'in 2. Y The 'ring ,-116 'carries packings" `117 adapted to cooperate with the innersur-f facef'of thestator 102. Thestator 102jhas an 1 exhaustrport '118. 1 Y i l The-:roter 11o is Sphericaifoaastter ,sarl

facer" In thelower `partfof' the inner surface yfof. the St'atorfl'OZ is also spherical, andconf formslcloselytothe external surfaceof the ArotorllOq- The lower, part ofthe inner surface of thev fstatorf'102ais designated `by *the numeralll; The upper partofthe cavity in the stator :102 is enlarged to form' anexpanF The steam or vcompressed'air is admitted into-fitheinlets 1,07 ofi the 'shaft 105 alter# nately.: The steamffiows' outwardly, tothe right, 1for"example,fin.i Fig, "7', through' thel port 10S-f andthe passage 1111 into the rightk handgroovejlM, andfout of the groove 114,

by way of lthe lcorresponding 'port 115. gTh'ef haustport 118 is passed, whereupon the pres-g sure fluid Ywill discharge through the saidl` pressure fluid thus is behind' or, below the l kringll, and the rotor i110 is caused to move -innthedireetion'ofthe arrow, until the ex--v IIS porti admitting thepressure fluid alternately'intosthe inlets 107 of theshaft i105.

the rings 116, one afteranother, exercise their]` function "in `an 'obvious manner, the rings slidingin the rotor 110 and keeping contact with'the inner surface of the stator 102.

' Having thus described thefinvention, what.;` Y

*111.1 a device A of thevv class v described,. a statorna rotor ha-ving an* external surface Aformi-ng a Vcomplete sphere, "the rotor being .journaled .in the stator, and an iexp'ansible' ringslidable in the rotor'and cooperating? withy the-inner V'surface of'the, stator, and one I@ i members of the fstator having cavities, por- Vtionsof the walls of` which are spherical, to l part 'of theinner surface of the stator-being spherical and 4coiiforming'to the outer surface of the rotor,another partfof theYV inner surface of the stator being bulged away from the rotor, tovform an expansion chamber.

' 2. Ina deviceof the class described, a stator comprising inner and outer members,

Va compressor j ournaled inthe inner member, a rotor ]ournaled between the inner and 2.5 ating with the walls ofthe cavities of' theV inner andoutermembers of the stator.

Y 3. In a kdevice of Ythev class described., a

forma compression chamber about the compressor, and an expansion chamber about the rotor, expansion rings slidable, in the compressor and in the rotor and cooperating, re- .fspective1y,'with the surfaceof the compres- -sion Chamberland with the surface of the eX- pansionchamber, the compressor having a passa eleading from the interior of the hollow s aft to thev compression chamber, the

rotor having a port communicating with the Y expansion-chamber, and the inner member of the stator having a port communicating with the 'compression chamber, and coming into contact with the port of the rotor, as the rotor is turned.

5. A device of the class described constructed asv set forth in claim 4, and further characterized by the fact that the port of the inner member of the stator has an external circumferential extension which registersl with the port of the rotor for an appreciable length of time, 'as therotor turns.

lIntestimony that l claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aiiixed my signature.

Y l MATHEW C. WERLE.

stator comprising inner and outer members, Y

a hollow shaft journaled in 'the`- stator, a compressorcarried by the shaft and" located within the ,inner member ofthe'stator, a.. rotor carried by the shaft and located between the inner and outer members of the stator,

a compressor and rotorl each having-spherical external surface,` the inner? and outer,

v conform respectively to the outer surface of the compressor and to the outer surface of the rotor, portions of the cavities beig enlargedi to form a compression chamber about the compressor, and an expansion chamber about the rotor,zexpansion rings slidable in the compressor and in the rotor and 'cooper- 45,. ating, respectively, withgthe surface'of the compression chamber and with thesurface of thevexpansion chamber, means for con? ducting pressurefluid from the shaft intov the compression chamber, .andmeans for conductingl compressed fluid from the com-` pressionchamber into theex'pansion cham! 4 ber! p Y ,i c .p

4. A stator comprising inner and outer members, a hollowshaft journaled in the v stator, a compressor carried by the shaft and located within the inner member of the stator, a rotor carried by the shaft and'located between the inner and outer members ofthe stator, the compressor and the rotor each having a spherical external surface,

the inner and outer members of the stator having cavities, portions of the walls of kvvhichuare spherical, to conform, .re'spece tively, to the outer surface of the compres-V sor and to the outer surface ofthe'rotor, portions ofi-the cavities being enlarged'fto 

